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San Joaquin Valley’s mental health needs are great. Decision by Newsom is not helpful

The Fresno Bee - 6/30/2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom has made many stops at towns up and down Highway 99 in the San Joaquin Valley. He has touted his “one California” mantra and even boasted about how much he cares about “this damn valley.” It’s not lost on locals that the San Joaquin Valley has long been an important but neglected part of our state. Sadly, the governor has shown us once again that making sure our region has a seat at every table is not his priority.

The governor recentlyvetoed AB 1668, my bill urging him to appoint people from each of California’s 10 regions (as defined by the 2020 census) to the state’s Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. Out of the 16 commissioners, not one is from the San Joaquin Valley, and that is a problem. Also unrepresented — the Inland Empire and Orange County.

The governor appoints 14 of the 16 seats on this commission. As of today, there is no one serving the needs and views of the San Joaquin Valley on this important commission. AB 1668 was his opportunity to right that wrong. AB 1668 received overwhelming support from the Legislature, as it was on consent in every committee and on the floor of both houses. And yet, somehow we find ourselves back at square one — fighting for representation that should be happily granted by our governor.

This commission is an important part of the continuous improvement of our state’s mental health system of care. It provides funding to counties and leads research initiatives. It is a platform for regional learning and collaboration. The mental health needs of the San Joaquin Valley are different from those in Los Angeles, Sacramento and the Bay Area.

The Central Valley was well represented on the commission from 2016-21 by Lynne Ashbeck, chief community impact officer for Valley Children’s Healthcare. Lynne initially applied to serve in 2015 after finding out there was no Valley representation. After her term ended, the governor chose to overlook the needs of the Valley and, instead filled the seat with someone from Napa. The next open seat went to someone from Los Angeles.

The absence of any Valley county, from Kern County in the south through San Joaquin County in the north, all but eliminates the voices of millions of people. It also makes it nearly impossible to influence mental health policy through the commission itself.

The fundamental role of our elected leaders is to ensure that issues impacting distinct regions are considered by decision makers in Sacramento. In a letter explaining why he didn’t sign AB 1668, the governor said he already considers the various regions in our state when making an appointment to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountablity Commission. If that were true, this bill wouldn’t be necessary and the Valley would have a seat at the table.

The governor will have a chance to sign this bill again when it is re-introduced next year. Our coalition, and our will to make sure the governor is true to his commitments, will be stronger than ever.

©2022 The Fresno Bee. Visit fresnobee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.